Birmingham Airport has issued a travel warning to passengers amid reports of early morning queues – with one holidaymaker calling BHX an “absolute joke”. The flyer was posted on social media this morning, June 18, to vent the queues that wind “right around the airport”.
It follows a month of travel chaos at BHX and just 24 hours after passengers reported being “trapped” in a two-hour queue to get through security. Airport bosses blamed major delays on ongoing construction work inside the building.
BHX also issues a daily warning to passengers urging them to carry only 100ml of liquids in their hand luggage to speed up the queuing process. “Do not put them in plastic bags in your hand luggage and do not take them out at security,” BHX warned.
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The airport’s new scanners will eventually allow passengers to carry two liters in hand luggage, but last-minute government rules meant tourists were still limited to just 100ml bottles.
Despite airport bosses hiring an extra 100 staff to help with the delays, many are being asked to turn up for flight lessons early to ensure they make it to their flight on time. One passenger who was flying today asked on social media: “I have to travel to work tomorrow, flight is at 8.40am, was told to get to the airport by 4.30am. So ridiculous!”
This is live news. Keep watching this blog for the latest travel information at Birmingham Airport today.
10:05 a.mHarry Leach
Two sides of the same coin
A BirminghamLive reader who flew from BHX twice in one week had both good and bad experiences. Passenger Michael Milton flew out of the airport last Thursday morning and told us it took him an hour and 45 minutes to get through security.
However, his flight from BHX to Copenhagen on Sunday was much smoother. He said, “I got through security in two minutes!”
09:46Harry Leach
Tell us about your experience
Did you travel from BHX today or over the weekend?
Let me know about your experience, good or bad, by email harry.leach@reachplc.com
09:30Harry Leach
‘Straight Through’
Happy passenger Carl Stokes said he went “straight” through security this morning and faced “no queues at all”.
Carl arrived at the airport three hours ago – as advised by the airline.
09:06Harry Leach
BHX explains why the parking company has “suspended” operations
Birmingham Airport has explained what happened after the meet-and-greet parking service suddenly ceased operations last month. Independent airport parking provider Blue Circle Parking stopped collecting and delivering cars belonging to BHX customers on May 20 after it “suspended operations”.
Click here to read the full story.
08:55Harry Leach
A week so far
Frustrated passengers yesterday branded Birmingham Airport a “disgrace” and “beyond appalling” after allegedly queuing for more than two hours to go through security.
Some claimed to have missed or almost missed their flights due to long waiting times.
Queues seem to have died down more quickly today – although passengers were still waiting outside the terminal building to get through security.
08:16Harry Leach
‘Give yourself enough time’
Passenger Leon Evans, who shared a picture of the queue outside Birmingham Airport this morning, warned passengers to allow “plenty of time”.
He said: “The staff are friendly and try their best, but it’s a challenge!”
08:06Harry Leach
The future of escalators revealed
A passenger asked BHX this morning when they will reopen the escalators for access to the top.
He added: “Using the lifts only at the top is a ‘bottleneck’ and was not a good decision.”
Like many others, he wants to know if the escalators leading to safety are coming back.
Well, we have the answer here: Birmingham Airport confirms fate of escalators, construction work nearing completion
07:57Harry Leach
Passenger slams BHX as ‘absolute joke’
One passenger today described BHX as “an absolute joke”.
A holidaymaker said on social media: “6am and queues right around the airport and out into the streets. Skip this airport – they’ve got it wrong.”
06:04William Morgan
Passenger BHX expresses the concern of many
05:00William Morgan
Passengers report a problem with parking
Someone who dropped off a passenger at BHX this morning reported difficulty finding a place to park, even in the premium drop-off area.
Calling it a “mess”, Bryn said: “This morning not a single parking space to drop off passengers in the premium arrivals car park. If only they had the same system as Heathrow and Gatwick.”
04:28William Morgan
What is causing the delay?
Apart from some confusion over the changes to the 100ml hand luggage rules, many passengers have reported difficulties even with security as the ongoing construction work at the airport has changed the normal queuing process.
BHX said: “Our new construction work on the security area is still ongoing. This means that the front line for security is mainly on the ground floor.”
“Please note that all passengers arriving by train must head to the ground floor to join the queue for safety reasons.”
This change is said to be part of the reason for the delay. One passenger said yesterday: “Queues this morning to get from the monorail arrival to the lift. At one point new arrivals from the monorail had trouble getting on the monorail because of the queue.”
“He then joined another line outside the airport to go back to the same level, same elevator, all BEFORE you get to the security line.
04:13William Morgan
What is the 100 ml rule?
Despite plans to ease restrictions on the 100ml liquid rule for hand luggage due to improvements in security technology, the failure to install these improvements at every airport caused the government to change its guidance at the last minute, reversing the change more than a week ago.
You can only carry 100ml containers in your hand luggage. BHX states the rules explicitly on its website:
- Liquids, pastes and gels only containers up to 100 ml can be carried in hand luggage – anything larger must be in checked luggage.
- No liquids above this size.
- Anything over 100ml will be removed and destroyed.
- Here is no limit on the number of containers under 100 ml which can be worn.
- Containers that hold more than 100 mlsuch as insulated bottles are allowed but must be completely empty.
- No put your liquids, pastes and gels in plastic bags (please leave them loose in your hand luggage).
- Do not take them out of your carry-on when you are in the security screening area.
- Leave all electronics in carry-on luggage during a security check.
- When going through security please make sure all items are out of pockets including phones, keys, coins and tissues, etc. Watches can be kept.
04:06William Morgan